Get Off the Hamster Wheel

Spring is in the air! The air is fresh and the world is full of color and beauty. The days are getting longer with the sunsets later.

It’s time to take a deep breath and take a break.

Ever since my kids have been on their own, I have not intentionally taken time off during Spring break. I took a short break this last week and enjoyed some of the Texas Hill Country.

I am amazed how fast time goes and I am wondering why life sometimes feels like a blur.

Over the past month, I have felt like I was running, running, running from one thing to the next. It was all good, but the pace was fast. My mind was trying to process the new opportunities, new relationships and new challenges, all at once. I kept on moving.

Then I noticed my normal red flag: anxiety. That is my cue to stop and do some soul searching. As I did, I got a picture of a hamster wheel. I was spinning and spinning and not getting where I wanted to go. Fatigue set in.

The next morning, I opened my meditation reading to find it discussed how to get off the “hamster wheel”! A lesson reinforced. I was reminded to practice mindfulness and “be” in the moment. I began to breathe again.

I stepped off the wheel. I stepped outside of the work zone. I embraced nature. I made a choice. I want to live each day with a good, healthy pace that fulfills me and keeps me healthy.

My internal sign that this is right? PEACE.

REFLECT: What are your internal signs that warn you to take a break?